Around the Campfire

December 2, 2007

Deus Ex Aleatorium

Tyler and Ashley

By Douglas E. Gogerty

Most sword fights end quickly. Even when the opponents are evenly matched, they seldom last for more that a few minutes. This was not the case with the fight between Tyler and Ashley. It was an epic battle.

Ashley opened with her leg sweep move. It had worked previously on Tyler, but he was ready for it. He easily dodged the attempt. However, he had not prepared a counter-move. Thus, he did not take advantage of her vulnerability. He spent all of his concentration on avoiding Ashley knocking him down.

When Ashley regained her feet, Tyler used a strong downward thrust, but Ashley blocked it. She faked a thrust to Tyler's right, and spun around to his left. Tyler did not bite on the fake, and parried the attempt.

The fight went on and on. It was if they knew each other's every move. Every thrust was parried. Every chop was blocked. Every counter-move was intercepted. They both hoped that the other would tire soon; however, they needed to keep on fighting.

The fight started in Ashley's efficiency apartment, but eventually spilled into the street when Tyler attempted to tackle Ashley. The pair tumbled out the second story window. Upon landing on the ground, they lost little time continuing the battle.

A crowd gathered and cheered. They thought it was some sort of act, and thoroughly enjoyed the combat scene. Ashley and Tyler attempted to move to a less crowded space but could not manage it. They continued swinging their swords in the attempt to decapitate their opponent. The crowds loved it.

With every move and counter-move, the crowd cheered. More and more people gathered around watching the pair fight. The crowd began restricting where Tyler and Ashley could move. They did not wish to hurt any innocents, so they had to restrict what moves they could make.

The crowd got larger and larger, and pressed in upon the battling pair. Everyone wanted to see, and gave the combatants less and less room to maneuver. They were down to simple fencing moves when the police arrived.

The police dispersed the crowd and told Tyler and Ashley to take their show elsewhere. The combatants were exhausted. As it was close by, they returned to Ashley's apartment.

Ashley poured a couple large glasses of water, and the pair rested on the couch. Once again, they commiserated on their fates. They were both trained assassins in a war that they did not fully understand. They both had lost friends and family in this battle for the end of times. Yet, neither knew exactly why they were fighting.

As the stories continued, they knew what each other were going through. They began growing close. As they laughed and cried, they moved closer. Eventually, they found themselves not talking. They embraced. The passion the pair had for their jobs was suddenly stripped away. It was now focused into each other.

Neither was rested enough for any energetic lovemaking. They decided to take a shower together, and so it began. They closed themselves off from the outside world. They did not answer phones or respond to knocks on the door, except when they had ordered food in. They completely concentrated on each other.

Despite great efforts, the pair's cohorts could not contact them. Unlike the world of the mortals, vampires and zombies disappeared regularly. The upper levels of both sides worried that they had lost their best people. Thus, the disappearance of Tyler and Ashley was greatly worrisome.

The followers of the god of darkness and the god of light were greatly relieved when they heard from the pair. However, they were appalled when they refused to fight. The couple had found each other, so for them the war was over.

Despite Ashley and Tyler's wishes to live in harmony, the war was going to be brought to them. It was a fight to the last. There could be no survivors. Thus, Ashley and Tyler's love could never be.

Suddenly, the pair was on the run. They felt that the entirety of resources was suddenly concentrated upon them. Nowhere was safe. Everywhere they went they encountered minions and soldiers.

At first, they did not fight; they just ran. However, the futility of this tactic was soon apparent. They would find themselves face to face with more enemies with each passing day. Hence, since they were well versed in the martial arts, they fought back.

Wave after wave of Vampires and Zombies came after them. They all ended up as dust. When Ashley and Tyler fought together, it was like a ballet. They were completely coordinated with each other's actions. When one would duck, the other would attack. They were unstoppable as a pair. Each one watched the other's back.

Soon, there were very few left. The great battle was ending. The once great men and women had wiped out everything they had built. All of the great works they created and all of the positive things they had done amounted to nothing. The end of times war had stripped them of everything important and turned them into hateful beings.

The gods of light and darkness called an end to it. It was a draw. The pair of transdimensional entities discovered that greatness could only happen in balance. For anything to occur they had to cooperate. There would be no earth without the chaos and the rules.

Another factor was involved in the decision. Something unexpected had occurred. Ashley was pregnant. Immortals were not supposed to be able to have children. However, children from the god of light and the god of darkness could have a child together. The gods did not wish to see this war go any further. So, they agreed to it being a draw.

There were many ways to obtain order, and they did not always have to be through a great list of rules. Only one rule was required. That is, everyone had to treat everyone else as they would like to be treated themselves.

Societies could exist in chaos, but greatness would not occur. Unless the individuals cared about one another, chaos would prevail. Imposing rules upon the chaos generally led to brutal order. There were consequences for breaking the rules, and those consequences were often harsh.

The Vampires and the Zombies enjoyed the art and the great creations. However, when the end was near, both sides started to tear each other apart. No longer did either side appreciate the arts. Everyone concentrated on the end. Thus, everyone suffered.

The few Vampires and Zombies left were called home. The only ones allowed to continue were Tyler, Ashley and their soon to be born young one. They had learned the lesson at the same time the gods of light and darkness did. Greatness can only come when both sides cooperate or at least respect what the other is doing. Destruction only breeds more destruction.